Portable communion cabinet



1951 J. H. SWEENEY PORTABLE COMMUNIONCABINET 2 SHEETS-SHEET l FiI Led March 10, 1947 lllll llllll W Joseph lijveeney 1951 J. H. SWEENEY PORTABLE COMMUNION CABINET 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed March 10, 1947 w W x W M e a F l l I l I I I IN o LI I III! E a M w a a a a 7 lloseph i Sweeney MOI-M Patented Nov. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a small communion table that can be easily transported from one place to another for religious services. It is made in the form of a cabinet, which, when closed, contains all the required articles used for religious services, and when opened and set up, represents a small altar with the communion vessels in place.

This cabinet is intended for use in hospitals, homes or other places where the sacrament is intended to be administered, or where other religious services have to be performed.

These and other objects will be explained in the subjoined description with the aid of the attached drawing.

Like numerals relate to the same details in the different views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the communion table or ark when closed as a cabinet placed on a wheeled base;

Figure 2 is a similar view of the table opened ready for use;

Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a side view and part section of a modification of the communion table and showing motor driven gearing mechanism for opening and closing the cabinet; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view and part section showing the interior arrangement of the operating gearing.

This communion table is denoted in general by numeral Ill, and is erected on a wheeled base I l, which is movably supported on a pair of front wheels or casters I2, and brackets with fixed axles and one or two trailing wheels I3, on swiveled brackets, thus providing easy transportation of this communion table.

The communion table or ark I is constructed as a cabinet on a floor with four corner posts IE and a ceiling IT at the top carrying an ornamental crown 18 above the same.

Between the front posts I6 is hung a panel H! which is hinged as at 2:? under the ceiling board ll and completely fills the space between the posts Hi. In closed position the panel [9 is locked to the floor board I5 by means of a thumb latch 2| near each bottom corner.

Similarly a rear panel [9a is suspended between the ceiling board I! and floor board l5 filling the space between the rear posts 15. Fixed end panels 22 close the openings between the posts It at each end of the cabinet l0.

Between the four walls of the cabinet is thus provided a chamber in which are stored, during transportation, communion vessels, crucifix 25, and the like, needed for conducting the religious services. These vessels are not placed on top of the cabinet when open.

The entire cabinet may be made of wood, metal or plastic material as best obtainable.

Across each panel l9, l9a is mounted a rod or stave 28 fastened thereto by metal strips 21. These staves are longer than the panels so that the ends form handles, whereby the cabinet may be lifted for transportation, when closed, or for swinging up each panel on hinges 20, into open position, best shown in Figure 3, leaning against each other with their edges giving the cabinet the aspect of a Hebrew ark of covenant, when in closed position.

In Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings a modified form of ark or cabinet Illa is illustrated provided with hand or motor driven gearing for raising or lowering the front and rear panels 30, 30a straight up and down, instead of swinging. Panels 36 and 30a have a suitable contact switch at bottom of panels and top of posts IS in compartment 34, formed within the crown l8 above the ceiling IT, to light dome lights in this model.

The parts H to l8 already described with regard to Figures 1 to 3 are the same in both embodiments, but the staves in cabinet 10a do not here move with the panels 30, 30a but are affixed on the posts I6 to be stationary. Said panels are both guided to run up and down and are therefore provided with sprocket bars or strips 3| meshing with the teeth on sprocket wheels 32 mounted on transverse shafts 33, one at each end of the cabinet and above the ceiling board I! above which is formed an enclosed second cham ber 34 for housing said shafts 33 and wheels 32, cross connecting drive belts 35 and pulleys 36 as well as an electric motor 3! with chains or belt 38 for revolving, a push button being provided for actuating the motor, the left shaft 33. The latter may also be manipulated by hand, by means of a crank handle 39 furnished on one end thereof.

Upon turning the shafts 33, both panels 30 and 3011 will thus be pushed straight up into the dotted position seen in Figure 4.

From the above description the operation will be clearly understood.

It is to be understood that the invention as herein disclosed may be varied from the details described and shown without departure from the spirit of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a portable altar, a wheeled base, a cabinet supported on said base and having a bottom portion, posts rising from the corners of said bottom portion, a ceiling mounted on the upper end of said posts, a hollow ornamental crown supported on said ceiling and forming a closed chamber between the crown and ceiling, a panel closing the space between the posts at each end of said cabinet, vertically movable panels normally closing the spaces between the posts at the front and rear sides of said cabinet, and means housed within said chamber and operatively associated with said vertically movable panels for raising the same to expose and give access to the contents of the interior of the cabinet.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, with the said means comprising racks mounted on the edges of the opposite ends of said vertically movable panels, transverse shafts journalled in bearings mounted in the upper ends of the posts at O posite ends of said cabinet, pinions mounted on said shafts and meshed with said racks, a driven connection between said shafts, and other means for imparting rotary motion to one of said shafts which motion is transmitted to the other shafts by said driven connection.

JOSEPH H. SWEENEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

